How to "Cheat" at Drawing

I'm not an artist by any means. My drawing skills? A second grader could probably do better. However, I love to color and to shade with both markers and colored pencils, and overtime, I found myself getting annoyed with the limitations of coloring books. I wanted to be able to color any image I wanted, but yet, I couldn't draw anything despite my best efforts. Finally, I resorted to "cheating."

Take this image of Jack-Jack from the Incredibles, for example.

I really wanted to practice my face-shading skills using this image. So I imported the image into Photoshop and lowered the opacity, then proceeded to trace over the image on another layer. My results?

Not pretty, I know. But keep in mind that I am creating an outline solely for the purpose of coloring it in. Any outlines are later going to be replaced by color and I have added some extra lines to mark important transitions in shading.

This step can be done in a variety of ways, depending on what the purpose of your final art piece will be. If you want it to be a simple drawing or some line art, then focus on only the major features...don't outline everything like I did. Make sure the lines are much smoother than I made them. 

The next step would be to transition the drawing to paper that you intend your final piece to be on. Now, if you've created some line art or a drawing within photoshop, you can just print it out on your desired paper. But if you've created an outline that's not going to part of your final piece, like I did, you're going to want to have this printed on your paper with pencil. 

How can you do this? Start by printing out the work you've done in photoshop and color over the back with graphite pencil. Make sure you've laid down a dark layer to ensure that the color will be picked up when you transfer your image to your desired paper.

Following this, place your printed outline with the graphite face down on your desired paper. Simply trace over the printed outline with your pencil, and the graphite will transfer from the back of your printed outline to your final paper.

As an alternative, you could lower the opacity of your outline so that it's really light. As long as you're working with fairly dark colors, it should be fairly easy to cover up the printed outline.

Now that you have your outline or line art on paper, go crazy with the coloring! Let me know how this works out for you in the comments below.

All Natural, Organic, Hair Routine for Frizzy, Dry, Damaged Wavy/Curly Hair (UPDATED)

If you've read pretty much any of my past post, you'll know that I have major issues with my hair. It's super dry, super frizzy, and kinda-wavy, kinda-curly, kinda-straight. It's a hot mess. I would describe my hair as 2B curls, if you're wondering.

I've been on a mission, for the past 6 years, to find the best hair care routine, and along the way, I've found a ton of routines that I've thought were amazing.

BUT...for the past few weeks, I've been using practically a completely new routine, and my hair is SO SOFT AND FRIZZ FREE!!!! I don't think you can understand my excitement waking up after that first day to find that all my hair was frizz-free, not just half of it, and it was all curly, not just half-curly.

THIS IS THE JACKPOT OF HAIR ROUTINES!!!

Disclaimer: all products that remain in your hair for an extended period of time (hair mask, leave-in conditioner, gel/mousse) are all natural and organic. All shampoos and conditioners, except for those by John Frieda, are also all natural and organic. 

First of all, let's talk about how I clean my scalp. I made a blog post about this before, but I'll link the video (that I don't own) below. This makes a huge difference, considering that I have very dry hair and therefore only wash my hair once a week, which means there's generally a lot of scalp build up  that needs to be removed. Trust me, this method works wonders.

1) Pre-Poo (Hair Mask): apply 100% virgin coconut oil from roots to tips until it's super greasy, and leave it on over night

Not only does this nourish your hair, but it also reduces frizz and keeps it from being dried out in the shower.

2) Shampoo #1: Jason's Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo, apply only to scalp

This is great 1) for dandruff 2) for buildup, which I have due to only washing once a week. However, it drys out your actual hair, which is why we put coconut oil on and only apply this to the scalp. If you wash more often than once a week, or do not have dandruff, skip this step, because it will just unnecessarily dry out your hair.

3) Shampoo #2 + 3: John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Shampoo, apply to scalp and from roots to tips

This is great for frizz and prevents drying out your hair. This is also the step in which we clean our actual hair and remove the coconut oil. The scalp takes a lot of time to clean, but the hair itself is really easy to clean, which is why we sometimes only wash the scalp without touching the hair (steps 2 and 4). However, because we do need to remove the coconut oil, and this is the only shampoo we apply to the hair itself, we have to shampoo with it twice. If you choose to skip the hair mask, only shampoo once.

4) Shampoo #4: Jason's Biotin Restorative Conditioner, apply only to scalp

This is a rather light conditioner, so there's not much of a risk of over-conditioning by using this instead of a shampoo. However, we still only want to apply this to the scalp, which we are cleaning, because applying it to all the hair is just asking for limp, over-conditioned hair.  This is a great because it will remove any remaining build up from the scalp, but won't be drying out the hair in the process.

5) Conditioner: John Frieda's Frizz-Ease Dream Curls Conditioner, apply generously from roots to tips

This will condition the hair and eliminate frizz. It washes out easy, and the hair doesn't feel squeaky clean even if you wash the conditioner out completely. This leaves your hair feeling super soft and healthy...there is a noticeable difference.

6) Leave-In Conditioner: 2-3 drops 100% pure argan oil, rub between hands and run through hair

This will eliminate any remaining frizz, and will help moisturize the hair. Since we used so little oil, it won't feel greasy at all, but will still add the nutritional benefits.

7) Gel/Mousse: 1 oz. mixture of 50% water, 50% Earth's Daughter Aloe Vera Gel, put in spray bottle and apply throughout hair, scrunch until desired results - you will have crunchy hair, but if you let it dry then sleep on it, you will have perfect curls in the morning
***Alternative: 1 oz. mixture of 75% water, 25% Earth's Daughter Aloe Vera Gel, put in spray bottle and apply throughout hair, scrunch until desired results - you won't have crunchy hair, but the curls will be less defined and more frizzy

Whatever you do, don't skip this step. This is really the step that forms the curls...so all that work with the hair mask, shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, etc. will have gone to waste.

LINKS:

1. Coconut Oil ($5.45): http://www.amazon.com/Parachute-Coconut-Oil-200-oil/dp/B000HLCKC8 
2. Jason's Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo ($10.53): http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Shampoo-Tree-17-5-Ounce/dp/B0000535UA/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1437667122&sr=1-1&keywords=jason%27s+tea+tree+shampoo
3. John Frieda's Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo ($5.37): http://www.amazon.com/John-Frieda-Frizz-Dream-Shampoo/dp/B00KZ28JYW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1437667176&sr=1-4&keywords=john+frieda+frizz+ease+dream+curls
4. Jason's Biotin Restorative Conditioner ($11.17): http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Natural-Conditioner-Restorative-Biotin/dp/B000FGC99O
5. John Frieda's Frizz Ease Dream Curls Conditioner ($5.37): http://www.amazon.com/John-Frieda-Frizz-Dream-Conditioner/dp/B0034F3VW2/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1437667380&sr=1-3&keywords=john+frieda+frizz+ease+dream+curls
6. Argan Oil ($14.99): http://www.amazon.com/BEST-ORGANIC-Argan-Oil-Nails/dp/B00H7NKNE6/ref=sr_1_3?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1437667460&sr=1-3&keywords=argan+oil
7. Earth's Daughter Aloe Vera Gel ($12.99): http://www.amazon.com/99-75-Organic-Cold-Pressed-Benefits-Include/dp/B00KRJPE00

If any of you choose to try this routine out, let me know how it works for you! 

How to Clean Your Scalp Fast

If you all read my hair routine post, you'll know that I only wash my hair once a week. This is because I have pretty dry hair, and it gets very damaged and frizzy if I wash it more often. On top of that, I also pile a ton of coconut oil on my hair in an attempt to ease some of frizz. So, as you can probably imagine, by the time I'm ready to wash my hair, it's pretty disgusting.

Cleaning my scalp has been a problem for me since sixth grade. I used to scratch at by scalp to try to get all the sebum (build up) off, resulting in one or two hour showers. Not only was using my nails bad for my scalp, but the excessively long showers dried my hair out.

Recently, I've been able to get rid of all the sebum within TWO washes. That means I'm getting rid of a weeks worth of build up and a ton of oil within minutes. Prior to developing this method of washing, it would take 3-4 washes, and white stuff (sebum) would still appear under my nails when I scratched at my scalp.

So, let's just get write into it.

1. Washing method:

I stumbled upon this video, which I do not own, on youtube. This is the key...scrub each section described in the video 5 times, back and forth.

Trust me, this makes a major difference. You will be able to get a clean scalp within two washes without using your nails.

2. Shampoo

If you have dandruff: use Jason's Tea Tree Treatment Shampoo for the first wash and Jason's Restorative Biotin Shampoo for the second wash
If you don't have dandruff: use Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo for the first wash and Jason's Restorative Biotin Shampoo for the second wash

The Tea Tree Treatment and Coconut Milk Shampoo are more cleansing than the Restorative Biotin shampoo, which is why they are used first. The Restorative Biotin shampoo is a bit more gentle, but still manages to remove any remaining build up.

3. Conditioner

Use Organix Coconut Milk Conditioner...this stuff is magical! It's amazing for eliminating frizz, and if you scrub your scalp with the same method again, it will further cleanse your scalp without drying it out.

4. Take a Bath

This is going to sound weird, but wash your hair in a bath. This really helps loosen the hair and gives you access to your scalp.

After you do your first wash, rinse it out in the bath. This is your scalp cleansing wash.

After you do your second wash, rinse it out with the shower head. This is your hair cleansing wash, so you don't want to be washing it in already dirty water.

Hope these tips helped! You should be able to go longer between washes, have less frizz, and healthier hair if you follow these.

How to Download Free eBooks and Torrents on an iPad or iPhone

The number most frustrating problem with the iPad, for me, is that I can't open all the files that I can open on my Mac. For that reason, I will never be able to use the iPad as a replacement for my laptop. However, this will get you one step closer to getting full functionality out of your iDevice.

***This does NOT require jailbreak.

I usually use torrents to download ebooks, so I will show you how to do this using a torrent link for Mockingjay from the Hunger Games series.

1. Find a torrent link

• kickass.so usually has working, virus-free torrents. kickass.filesoup.com does NOT. 
• Usually, I just search for "___ torrent" on google and click on whatever pops up. 

the torrent page, if you're looking at kickass.so, will look like this

2. Copy the torrent link

• Any big buttons that say "download" are generally an ad. Don't click on them.

if you're using kickass.so, click and hold on the "download torrent" button and click "copy"

3. Go to zbigz.com

4. Paste the link and click "go"

5. Allow the torrent to download

• This may take a while, depending on the size of the file. 
• If the file name is not listed at the top left corner, then your torrent link is broken.

 

6. Download the desired file

• In some cases, the torrent contains multiple individual files. In that case, the files will have names and you can click the blue arrow next to the file you want to download.
• If the torrent contains individual files that build the downloadable file, the files will not have names. Click the blue arrow above the blue loading bar to download.

7. Open the file

• Assuming you are downloading an ebook, click "open in 'iBooks.'"
• Make sure you have the appropriate application to open any other downloaded files.

Hope that helped you all!

Suggested sites to get free eBooks: tuebl.ca, epubbud.com, kickass.so

Wash-off Lotion

This is what I like to call "skin conditioner." You put it on in the shower, wait a couple of minutes, then rinse it off, just like you would do for your hair.

Recipe: 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted) + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 4 tbsp shea butter (melted)

Now, when I say "melted" in relation to shea butter, I mean heat it up for about 10 seconds then mash it into a thick paste with the back of a spoon. Don't melt it until it's completely an oil, or this won't work.

Take all the ingredients, mix them together until you have smooth paste, then stick it in the freezer for an hour. When you take it out, you'll have a solid, but it will be like lip balm...so you can just run your finger over it to pick some up.

All these ingredients are great for your skin, especially if you take a long shower. I use it on my hands on hair washing days, just because I'm in the shower for a long time and am using a lot of soap/shampoo, so it keeps my hands from drying out.

#alexfromtarget

A couple days ago, #alexfromtarget went trending worldwide. Within hours, Alex (@acl163) gained 200k followers. As of today, he has 527k followers, and he started with 1k. Fandoms were stared, fanfictions were written, memes were created, fan accounts were started, etc.

The picture that started it all...

Basically, Alex gained worldwide fame...but for what? He doesn't sing, he doesn't dance, he doesn't act, and for all we know, he could be a complete asshole. But, yet, everyone who has a twitter knows him, simply because he's hot.

Yes, you heard me. The Alex fandom, which consists of teenage girls, hasn't even tried to deny that the only reason that this boy is so famous is that he's hot. In fact, they've very vocally expressed that this boy is famous because he is hot.

This shows just how superficial our world is today. You don't need to have talent, or even be a nice person, to be famous anymore. For all we know, Alex could be an arrogant, rude, asshole...but that doesn't stop us from making him famous.

The reason that Alex is famous is because of adolescent girls. It's almost the same reason that Justin Bieber and One Direction are famous, but their famous is enhanced, not created by appearance.

Other twitter users, such as @molsen7961 (her name's Melissa, but it's not my twitter), agree with me. @molsen7961 said, "#alexfromtarget proves that being hot makes you successful...so take that college! I'm gonna drop out and hit the gym tomorrow. " 

What's even weirder than Alex's odd rise to fame is that some teenage girl secretly took this photo of Alex. What if a man had taken a photo like this of a women? He would immediately be charged with sexual harassment and a slew of other things. If a man had tried to make a woman famous based on her looks, feminists would be outraged that a woman had been objectified in such a way.

Even worse is the fact that who ever did this is proud of their creepiness. In an on going twitter war, two people are fighting over who actually "created" Alex. @auscalum (whose page is now been privated) has been officially credited by this Yahoo article, but @GOLDILOCKS has argued that she/he posted the picture first.

Retweets from @GOLDILOCK's twitter page

The tweet that started it all, according to @GOLDILOCKS

Why does it matter who made Alex famous? These girls should be ashamed of being so superficial about men, and whoever originally took the photo should be made aware of how creepy and stalker-ish it is to do that.

The point is, it's completely pathetic that the world has stooped to a point where appearance determines success rather than effort, intelligence, or talent.

Shea Butter For Skin

Holy crap, this stuff is MAGICAL.

I have the worst skin. It's acne-ridden and constantly peeling. I have have to have lotion on 24/7 (literally, I need to put it on the second I get out of the shower or wash my hands), or it will start peeling. My hands, cheeks, and eyelids (I know, gross...) are the worst.

But, with the help of shea butter, this has stopped within THREE DAYS!!!

You need to get pure, unrefined, all-natural shea butter, which comes in a brick. It's very hard, so you need to break a bit off and melt it before using. Generally, I just run it under hot water, and that does the trick.

Ways to use shea:

1. Rub it underneath your eyes to get rid of dark circles within hours.
2. Rub it on your eyelids to get softer, smoother, (and in my case, non-peeling) skin.
3. Use an eyelash comb, clean mascara wand, or q-tip to apply to eyelashes before bed...this will promote eyelash growth.
4. Apply as a clear lip gloss for plumper, softer lips.
5. Apply as a lotion before going to bed (but note that it will probably make you greasy).
6. Rub on skin before getting out of the shower and rinse off as a "skin conditioner."
7. Apply to underarms and discolored skin to even out your skin tone.

These are all ways that I have personally used shea successfully. There's a whole heap load of success stories out there with a million other ways to use it...some people apply it on their eyelids for a more defined color when using make up, others find it useful to use it on their hair, etc.

Let me know in the comments below if you choose to use shea and tell me how it worked out for you. I look forward to your responses. :)

Products I use:
http://www.amazon.com/100-Unrefined-Organic-Shea-Butter/dp/B00D9NV2D4/ref=pd_ys_sf_s_rp_a1_6_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SF8R77EBBJMAFWE7MSV
***Note that there ARE cheaper versions out there. I chose this one because it comes in a brick, and not as a paste, so I know for a fact that it is not altered in any way.